Water heater



E. WENGER WATER HEATER June 19, 1951 Filed Oct. 20, 1947 INVENTOR EDGARBVENGER TTORNEY Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED "STATES PATENT orrlcr.

WATER HEATER Edgar Wenger, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Application October 20, 1947, Serial No. 780,969

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to a water heater.

More particularly, the invention relates to a gas-operated water heater.

The objects of the invention, generally, are to improve on known water heaters.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a gas-operated water heater which will provide increased efliciency.

cover I1, serves as the discharge or hot water out- Another specific object of the invention is to provide a gas-operated water heater having a ribbed, inverted cone-shaped water boiler enclosed in an outer cylindrical casing, a cylindrical shield or sleeve between the boiler and the casing, and a gas burner efiectively disposed adjacent the lower end of the boiler and of the shield, so that the products of combustion rise substantially all within the shield.

A device made according to the invention operates not only to increase the heat absorption of the water to be heated but almost complete combustion is achieved, as tests by publicly authorized bodies have amply proved.

Figure l is a perspective view of a gas-operated water heater made according to the invention, showing the door of the outer casing in open posi tion;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a part of the device; and,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawing, It] shows, more or less diagrammatically, a typical jet gas burner which is supplied with a combustible mixture by suitable means (not shown). The burner rests upon and is secured to a. perforated plate H which forms the base of a cylindrical outer casing 12 closed at the top by a cover 3. The plate thus serves to admit air into the casing. The products of combustion escape through a suitable flue (not shown), connected to a flanged opening through the cover [3. The casing is formed with an opening which is closed by a hinged door M.

i5 is the water heater proper, being a coneshaped hollow body, of tapering diameter, the diameter increasing gradually from bottom to top. The upper end of the body is formed with a flange l6 to which a cover I 1 is secured as by, say, machine screws [3 to close the upper end of the body. The lower end of the body is provided with a tapped boss I9 which receives one end of the feed or return pipe 20. A pipe 2!, passing through the cover l3 and threaded through the let.

The body I 5 is formed with spaced, radially extending ribs 22 of uniform depth, the outer edges of the ribs merging and being flush with the outer edge or rim of the flange l6. Thus, the ribs define with the wall of the body, spaced channels rising from the bottom toward the top of the body.

Secured inside the casing l2, between, and inwardly spaced from, the vertical wall thereof and the water heater proper, is a circular or cylindrical shell or shield 25 of uniform diameter from bottom to top. An annular open-ended chamber is thus formed between the casing and the shield. Preferably, the diameter of the gas burner is substantially equal to that of the shield.

As shown, the shield may be secured to the casing as by U-shaped bracket 26 having a leg riveted or welded to the wall of the shield and a leg riveted to the casing as at 21. The height of the shell is chosen so as to extend along an appreciable portion of the length of the heater or body, the shield, at the upper end, preferably engaging the ribs. Thus, the shield defines with the body generally, a vertical chimney of gradually decreasing effective width, and defineswith the ribs, at or near the upper end of the shield, separate jets.

The products of combustion in a great measure rise along the wall of the heater proper and are received within the spaced flues defined by the body and the shield and are gradually, in part at least, broken into separate jets or streams flowing up against the rims.

The heat exchange value of the products of combustion rising up between the body and the shield is more effective on the ribs than on' the shield since the ribs offer greater surface than the shield. Moreover, as the flow of the rising products of combustion is somewhat impeded, the heat carried thereby ignites carbon monoxide fumes within the space between the heater proper and the shield. Whatever fumes and heated secondary air rise between the shield and the outer casing serve to reduce the amount of heat tending to dissipate through the shield by conduction or radiation, and the air mixes with any unconsumed gas passing into the annular chamber as jets.

What I claim is:

l. A water heater comprising a cone-shaped hollow body in which the water is heated and having spaced longitudinal ribs radiating therefrom, a cylindrical casing in spaced lateral relationship with said body, said body being disposed to present its narrow end toward the lower extremity of said casing, a cylindrical sleeve around said body and co-axially spaced inwardly from said casing to form therewith an annular openended chamber adapted to communicate with a flue, the upper end of said sleeve terminating short of the upper extremity of said body in close proximity to said ribs substantially to define with said ribs jets opening into said annular chamber, and a gas burner disposed below the lower extremity of said sleeve, said casing being adapted adjacent its lower extremity to admit air for feeding said burner and for admitting air upwardly into said annular chamber to mix with the fumes discharged into said annular chamber as said jets.

2. In a water heater as in claim 1, said ribs EDGAR WENGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 576,313 Holden Feb. 2, 1897 1,382,495 Fowles June 21, 1921 1,752,536 Mitchell Apr. 1, 1930 1,774,552 Hawley, Jr. Sept. 2, 1930 1,776,984 Sinton et a1. Sept. 30, 1930 1,964,306 Wenger June 26, 1934 

